The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-09-21
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
Cotton Picking.

er's hope of a successful, practical
machine for gathering cotton is yet IN
allegiance, and the work must still be
done by nimble human fingers: In
yentors, however, are earnestly at
work seeking to solve this great
problem Cotton picking by hand IS
by far the most expensive operation in
volved in the production ofraw cotton.
Moreover the cost of nearly every
operation, except picking. may be
reduced in proportion as the
yield per acre is greater There
is practically but little diff
ference in the cost per pound of gath
ering by hand the crop from an acre
producing one thousand pounds OF
seed cotton and another acre yielding
only half as much. Hence, the SUI
preme Importance and universal desire
FOR practical machine to supersede
The work of the hand. Such machine
must necessarily be so constructed-to
be eflicient-that its daily capacity
will be almost in direct proportion to
the yield per acre.
Much has been said and written OF
late years about the Importance OF
gathering cotton free from trash, to
use the farmers vernacular; and some
of the writers, although right in the
main, are evidently but little familiar
with the requirements and conditions
that must be practically met on q
cotton plantation during the harvest
ing of the crop. Some years ago an
apparently otherwise intelligent En-
elish writer undertook 10 show that
there was no excuse whatever for the
presence of sand or soil in the bales OF
cotton; that the cotton crop opened
(all of it, was his ideO in September,
month in which there was little or no
rainfall. He concluded, and reproved
and lectured the farmer accordingly,
that the sand was fraudulently added
by the farmer as a make-weight
While it is desirable to house the
cotton as free from leaf and hull rs
may be, it is of first Importance that
the crop be "gone over as often as the
quantity open Mt one time is sufficient
10 enable hands to do fair day work.
In the interest of economy, and with a
limited picking force, celebrity of move
ment, nimbleress of fingers and the
weight of cotton gathered per hand per
day are the points to be observed. The
pickers should not be embarrassed and
retarded in their work by too rigid re-
quiremcnts in the matter of trash.
They should go with rush from the
start, and every proper encouragement
should be offered them to bring heavy
baskets to the steel-yards. A little
trash hurts very little; a good
deal does not affect the SELL
ing price seriously, if the
sample is bright and free from wealth,
erstains and dirt. Great care in re-
moving or avoiding trash may add
half cent, or even more, to the sell
ing price If q weeks work of six
bales harvested, leaving three bales
in the field to be storm-beaten and de-
srroyed to the extent of one-third its
original value, before the hands get
10 work again. Fast work and a little
more trash might have saved tho nine
bales before the storm.
The same idea applies to picking
the cotton clean from the hulls. Hands
should be taught to make one we'll
directed grab at an open boil, and
then grab the next. The little that
may be left in many of the hulls will
remain until the last picking, when the
field may be closely CLEANED. 1t should
be considered that dirt, stains, loss O.
color and brightness of sample, and
loss of cotton from falling to thu
ground, are far more damaging thar
the presence of clean trash.
1t was one of the excelencies O.
David Dickson's farm management tina
he studied the manual operations
of the farm in detail and taught hi
laborcrs how to do every thing to thu
best possible advantage. He not only
studied to discover the shortest ant
best way of performing given opera
ton. but also sought to determine
which are the most important details
He taught his laborers as shoemake
or machiuist teaches his apprentice
He stressed the Importance of dexterity
and skill in every detail of the appar
emily simple operations o
chopping cotton and picking cotton
His attention to the details of per
forming the various farm operation
contributed largely to his success as
farmer and planter.
After the cotton is picked, if we
from heavy dew or rain it will pay t.
exercise some care in drying it, b.
spreading on scaffolds or distributin.
it over a large surface in the cotton
house. especially that from the bottom
of the basket when heavy dews art
prevailing. with the present labor
however, not much cotton is gathered
before the dew disappears.) With thu
larger part of the crop now ginnet
and balcd at custom ginneries, their
should be much greater improve
ment in the quality of the work ovel
that of the old plantation gin-hous'
than is yet manifest. Careful
handling, proper ginning and balins
should be insisted upon. = Southern